Beaumont-Adams Model 1862
- Category
- Revolver
- Barrel
- 140 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.10 kg
- Introduced
- 1862
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 is a British double-action percussion revolver, a refinement of Robert Adams's solid-frame design with Lieutenant Frederick Beaumont's double-action lockwork that allowed the hammer to be thumb-cocked or fired by a single trigger pull. Chambered as a .442 (54-bore) cap-and-ball five-shooter, it was a robust military and self-defense revolver widely used by British forces and privately purchased on both sides of the American Civil War; later examples were converted to fire the .450 Adams centre-fire cartridge.
The Adams revolver's true double-action lockwork let a soldier fire as fast as he could pull the trigger, a decisive advantage over the single-action Colt at close range that was demonstrated in colonial fighting across the British Empire.
The 1862 pattern was the percussion form; many were later converted to .450 centre-fire. Manufactured in Britain by Adams's firms and the London Armoury Company, and used by Confederate purchasers during the American Civil War.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Deane, Adams & Deane
- Category
- Revolver
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1862 to 1880
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 140 mm
- Overall length
- 305 mm
- Weight, empty
- 1.10 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Double action revolver
- Firing mechanism
- Percussion
- Trigger
- Double action
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Internal
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 230 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 240 J
- Effective range
- 45 m
- Maximum range
- 180 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Solid frame
Self cocking action
Rammer loading lever
Fixed sights
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 37 .44 Caliber Percussion revolvers | 1.10 kg | 1.25 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 37 .44 Caliber Percussion revolvers | 305 mm | 349 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 37 .44 Caliber Percussion revolvers | 140 mm | 191 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| Magazine capacityAmong 37 .44 Caliber Percussion revolvers | 5 | 6 | Among the smallest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862
How much does the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 weigh?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 weighs 1.10 kg (2.43 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 is chambered in .44 Caliber Percussion and .450 Adams.
How many rounds does the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 hold?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 holds 5 rounds, fed from an internal magazine.
How long is the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 is 305 mm (12.0 in) long overall, with a 140 mm (5.51 in) barrel.
Who makes the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 is made by Deane, Adams & Deane (United Kingdom). It was designed by Robert Adams.
When was the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 introduced?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 was introduced in 1862 and discontinued in 1880.
How does the Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 operate?
The Beaumont-Adams Model 1862 uses a double action, and its firing mechanism is percussion.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- British Army
- 1856
- Confederate States Army
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
66%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/beaumont-adams' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "beaumont-adams", "name": "Beaumont-Adams Model 1862", "manufacturer": { "id": "deane-adams-deane", "name": "Deane, Adams & Deane", "countryCode": "GB", "foundedYear": 1851, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "37cf9a9bbf3deee574eb37276580f16cd073533cab9b73e4dd975939a4cc845e" }, "category": { "id": "revolver", "name": "Revolver", "description": "Handguns with a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers" }, "country_of_origin": "GB", "year_introduced": 1862, "barrel_length_mm": 140, "weight_empty_g": 1100, "action_type": "double_action_revolver"}